The Sunday Mail
ZIMBABWE will have to find a way to get past a tough Spain when the two lock horns in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Sevens qualifiers today.
After an impressive start to the tournament, courtesy of comfortable victories over Guyana (36-0) and Tonga (41-0) on Friday, the Cheetahs suffered their first setback when they lost to Spain in yesterday’s group G decider.
The Spanish won 10-0 with their tries coming from Tudela Perret and Inaki Villanueva.
The win earned them pole position in group G after finishing with nine points.
Zimbabwe came second with seven points and quickly dusted themselves from the Spanish defeat to see off Brazil 21-14 in the quarter-finals with Hilton Mudarikwa shining.
Mudarikwa’s two converted tries saw the Cheetahs to an early 14-0 lead at half time.
Brazil, for their part, did fight back courtesy of two converted tries by Fernando Portugal and Lucas Muller but it turned out to be too little too late as Tafadzwa Chitokwindo’s try, duly converted by Boyd Rouse, ensured the Cheetahs a place in the semi-finals.
Now, Zimbabwe will get a second bite of the cherry when they meet Spain for the second time in 24 hours.
The winner will meet the victor of the other semi-final pitting Papua New Guinea and Russia with the latter stern favourites to go through.
The winner of the final earns an automatic spot on the World Sevens Series.
